Pedestal for chairs



R. E. LEE

PEDESTAL FOR CHAIRS Filed Nov. 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4/ 4a -1fl I fl g .1

an 6?) I 5+ [/40 J? v Q] 50 40 35 2 Fig 5 #705597: L5:

INVENTOR.

Dec. 8, 1964 R. E. LEE

PEDESTAL FOR CHAIRS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 23, 1962 INV EN TOR.

United States Patent 3,160,382 PEDESTAL F01; CHAIRS Robert E. Lee, Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to Lee Brothers Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a partnership Filed Nov. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 239,654 3 Claims. ((11. 248-188.?)

This invention relates to a base for swivel chairs, stools and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a base for swivel chairs comprising four elements which are easily assembled.

It is another object of this invention to provide a covering for a base for swivel chairswhich completely encases the base.

It is another object of this invention to provide a cover for the base of swivel chairs which is easily mounted on and demounted from the base.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a base for swivel chairs which is strong but still present a neat appearance.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a chair base in which a basic all steel base can be changed in style and appearance by the simple addition of covers of different styles and appearances.

It is yet another object of this invention to use a chair base which is easily adapted by the addition of covers to provide a number of styles of bases which reduces the inventory of steel tubing.

It is still yet another object of this invention to provide a low cost all steel base.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from the drawings, detailed description and the annexed claims.

In the drawings: I

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the assembled cover and base for swivel chairs.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the bottom of the assembled cover and base for a swivel chair.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the base for a swivel chair.

FIGURE 4 is sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG- URE 1 disclosing the construction of one of the legs of the cover and the construction of one of the legs of the base.

FIGURE 5 is a detailed view of the collar of the cover disclosing the interfit between the cover and base for the swivel chair. v

The embodiment of my invention illustrated comprises a base which is of spider or cruciform shape. Four angular elements 12 and a portion 14 are welded to each other to form a central portion 16 and four legs 18 extending radially therefrom. Each element 12 consists of leg elements 13 and of bow shape as seen at 20. Each leg element 13 and 15 has a caster socket member 19 provided with a semi-circular hole 21 and when the leg elements 13 and 15 of the adjacent angular elements are secured together, caster sockets 22 are formed for carrying appropriate casters (not shown). The central portion 16 of the base 10 is provided with a spindle socket 17. The base 10 is preferably of strong metal.

The cover 34 is preferably formed of a suitably hard plastic and may be of various colors, shapes and styles. The cover 30 is designed to completely encase the base 10 and may quickly and easily be mounted on and de mounted from the base 10. The cover 30 comprises a circular collar number 32. Four hollow legs 34 radiate from the collar 32. Each leg 34 is substantially rectangular, in cross section, see FIGURE 4, and comprises a top.

Ice

posed side walls 38 and a bottom wall 40. The top wall 36 of the legs 34 have an upstanding flange 42 at their inner ends which are suitably attached to the collar 32. Each leg 18 of the base 10 is provided with an ear portion la'which fits into spaced notches 44 in the collar 32 when the base 10 is mounted in the cover 30.

The inner ends of hollow legs 34 are secured together at their meeting edges as at 35 forming a'central hollow chamber 37. An opening 41 is provided in the collar 32 for communicating with the hollow chamber 37.

The bottom walls 49 of the legs 34 of the cover 30 are provided with an aperture 50 adjacent their outer ends. The bottom walls 40 of legs 34 are each provided wtih a segmental portion 52 at their inner ends and an aperture 54 is formed centrally of the segments 52. A longitudinally extending slit 56 in the bottom walls 40 of the legs 34 of cover 30 connects the aperture 50 with the central aperture 54.

The legs 34 of the cover 30 are each provided with indented portion 39 adjacent their bottom walls for styling the legs 34.

When it is desired to mount the cover 30 on the base 10, the central opening 54 in the segmented portion 52 is spread open and the upper portion of the spindle member 16 is inserted into the opening 54 and pushed into the chamber 37 and through the opening 41 in collar 32 until the flanges 16A are received into the notches 44 thereof which holds the base It) in a fixed position therein. As the spindle member 16 is being entered into the chamber 37, the legs 18 of the base 10 are entering through the slits 56 in the bottom walls 40 of legs 34 into the hollow legs 34. The apertures 50 in outer ends of the walls 40 of legs 34 of cover 30 provide means for receiving the caster sockets so that the casters can be mounted in the caster sockets 22. The spindle socket 17 is mounted at the upper end of the collar 32 so that the spindle, of a chair can be mounted therein. Suitable means can be secured over the slit 56 in the walls 49 of the legs 34 of the cover 30 for aiding in holding the base 1% in the cover 30 such as detachable arms, not shown.

The base 19 can be easily removed from the cover 30 by means of the central opening 54 in the segments 52 at the inner ends of the walls 40 of legs 34 and the slits 56 in the bottom walls 40 of the legs 34 of cover 30.

If desired the base 1% can be used alone with a swivel chair. When the base 10 is used without a cover, a chromium strip can be mounted over the top of leg 18 and extended over the outer ends of the legs 13. The cover 30 can be assembled on the base 10 for changing the appearance of the base 10. The cover 30 can be made in different styles, shapes and colors to provide multiple types of bases for swivel chairs. Thus the all steel base 10 by use of different styles of covers lowers the cost of chair bases and also reduces the need for carrying heavy inventory of steel tubing. The covers 30 may be made or" one element to at least eight elements. The cover 38 may be so constructed to permanently encase the base 1% Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to with out departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A base for swivel chairs comprising a central portion provided with a spindle socket, a plurality of legs extending radially from the central portion of the base,

a cover having a central chamber provided with an upper the base, a plurality of hollow legs extending radially from the central portion of the cover, the legs of the cover provided With slot means communicating with the lower opening for the central chamber whereby the radiating legs of the base can be'inserted into and withdrawn from the hollow legs of the cover;

2. A base .for a swivel chair comprising a central por-' tion providcd with a spindle socket, aplurality of legs outer end, the lower wall of each leg of the covering provided with an aperture at its outer end and the inner end" of the bottom wall of thelegs of the covering provided with an aperture, communicating'with the central cham I ber of the cover, the bottom wall of each leg of the covering provided with a longitudinal slit connectingthe aperture in the outer end of the bottom wall of each leg with the aperture at the inner end of the bottom Wall of the plurality of legs of the covering whereby the base member including the central portion and its radiating legs can be inserted into and withdrawn from the central portion of the cover and the hollow legs respectivelytof the cover.

3. A base for a swivel chair comprising a central portion provided with a spindle socket, a plurality of legs extending radially from thetcentral portion of the base, each of the legs of the base formed of opposed side walls ofbowed shape having its greatest diameterat its central portion and gradually tapering to its smallest diameter at its opposite ends, a cover for thebase comprisinga central chamber for receiving the central portion of the base, a plurality of hollow legs radiating from and communicating with central chamber of the cover for receiving the legs of the base and completely encasing the legs of the base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A BASE FOR SWIVEL CHAIRS COMPRISING A CENTRAL PORTION PROVIDED WITH A SPINDLE SOCKET, A PLURALITY OF LEGS EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE BASE, A COVER HAVING A CENTRAL CHAMBER PROVIDED WITH AN UPPER AND LOWER OPENING FOR RECEIVING THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE BASE, A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW LEGS EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE COVER, THE LEGS OF THE COVER PROVIDED WITH SLOT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE LOWER OPENING FOR THE CENTRAL CHAMBER WHEREBY THE RADIATING LEGS OF THE BASE CAN BE INSERTED INTO AND WITHDRAWN FROM THE HOLLOW LEGS OF THE COVER. 